1. Field of the Invention
This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/836,022, which was filed on Apr. 17, 2001, and which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,098. This invention relates to coverings or enclosures for electrical wiring and cables. More particularly, it relates to novel and improved protective architectural moldings that provide channels for electrical wiring, cables, and associated devices. Sections of the moldings may be easily removed and reinstalled to facilitate initial installation and modifications to the electrical wiring and cables used for automation, communication, control, entertainment, networking, and/or security systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent years have brought unprecedented advancement in communication, entertainment, computer networking, security, automation, and control systems for homes and commercial buildings. Most existing homes were not built to accommodate these new technologies. Furthermore, the current rate of change in these technologies makes it very difficult to pre-wire new “smart” homes and buildings to fully anticipate future needs and opportunities. The design philosophy for these new systems is typically one of “star” or “hub and spoke” topography that requires most devices to be connected individually back to a central hub or connection point. The star topography requires an increasing number of wires and cables in greater lengths, compounding the difficulty of accommodating the new technologies. As a result, an unmet need exists for an attractive, cost-effective, and easily modifiable means of accommodating the wiring and cables for these complex electronic systems in existing structures and for future-proofing new construction for the technologies being developed.
Existing finished structures, in particular, present difficulties to installing such systems or networks due to the complications of running wiring and cables in the interior of walls that have already been covered. Snaking electrical lines vertically in the space between wall studs is feasible for short runs of wiring or cable to complete the last few feet of connection to a device or jack. The greater need, however, is to link all the cables and wires in a generally horizontal direction back to a central connection and control hub. However, running wiring and cables horizontally through the studs is difficult, time-consuming, and disruptive to the finished structure. Portions of the wallboard must be cut out, holes drilled through or notches cut in the studs, and the wall surfaces must be patched and refinished after installation. The drilling of holes or notching of studs can weaken the structure. The demolition and repair procedure is often much more costly and time-consuming than the actual running of cables. The installer risks running into existing electrical power lines, plumbing lines, or other obstructions concealed within the walls, ceilings, and floors. Exterior walls and shared walls between adjacent dwelling spaces can make installing these additional wires and cables nearly impossible due to the presence of fiberglass or foam weather insulation, sound insulation, or fire walls.
Surface-mounted wiring raceways and conduits with snap-on covers have been designed for carrying electrical wires, but their use detracts from the appearance of a residence or professional office. Some of these raceways are surface-mounted on walls and other interior surfaces along with existing moldings. Others may take the place of baseboards and are made of materials such as metal or plastic, which have no resemblance to classical wood millwork. Generally, they are considered undesirable for residences because they look like wire raceways rather than finished interior trim that complements the appearance of a home. Furthermore, baseboard-style raceways do not provide means for continuing wiring and cables around doors, windows, or other wall openings to reach any point in the room or to connect these same wires and cables back to a central control hub.
Interior and exterior millwork has been used for centuries to provide an attractive, finished look to homes and commercial structures. However, to date, millwork has not been designed to provide a channel for electrical wiring and cables that can extend completely around the perimeter of rooms via baseboard, casings, crown moldings and related connection moldings. Further, ordinary millwork cannot provide easy access for installation and modification of the wiring, cables, and related electrical devices via removable portions of the molding.
Customary methods of installing standard moldings use finish nails, staples, and/or adhesives to attach them to a structure. Setting of the nails or staples below the surface of the molding then requires the multi-step process of filling the resultant indentations with wood putty or the like, sanding, priming, and painting or staining the exposed surfaces. Performing these steps on the moldings after installation is time-consuming and inefficient compared to painting or staining prior to installation, due to non-ergonomic working positions and the care required to avoid getting finish treatments on adjacent surfaces.
Since standard means of installing moldings does not permit it to be easily removed, subsequent maintenance or remodeling (such as painting, stripping, staining, wallpapering, changing flooring, etc.) requires a relatively high degree of care to perform these steps on the moldings and/or adjacent surfaces.